Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1887-02-03
IMPURE WATER.
Epfdemics TraceabIe to the Polluted Con.
dition of Private Wells.


dition of Private Wells.
Tt is a common belief that when a
we'll is dug pure spring water, oozing
from the ground, is obtained; that is
true in the case OF artesian wells; but,
although possible, is rarely the case
with ordinary surface wells. and under
this name are embraced all wells not
more than fifty feet deep. The water
obtained from these wells is merely
the water which has fallen on the sur
face of the earth in rains, and has per-
colated the soil and become collected
in this excavation. 1t is called ground
water Even granting that some of
the water may be spring water, some
of it must be the results of drainage,
and the amount of this will depend
upon the rainfall, and the character
of the soil. A moments reflection will
show that wells must act as drains to
the surrounding soil. Just as awet field
may be drained by digging one or more
trenches into which the soil may drain
and be carried away, so, when deep
trench or well is dug, the water in the
surrounding soil will necessarily tend
to drain into it. This is not only a mat
ter of reasoning, but a matter of expe-
rience. The following case is reported:
I'm consequence of the escape OF the
contents of barrel of petroleum, or
benzine. which had been buried, a cir
cult of wells, sixty feet below, and two
hundred and fifty Or three hundred
yards distant, became so affected that
the occupiers of fifteen houses, contain
ing eighty-two inhabitants, were for ten
DAYS unable to use the water for cook
ING or drinking, When wells are
first dug in rural districts, the
water is pure and may remain
so for n long time. Fortunately, the
soil possesses some power of purifica-
ton, and although the water may re-
ceive polluting matter on the surface
of the ground, some of this matter is
detained, mechanically, by filtration,
and other portions may be decomposed
and taken up by growing plants and
trees. Bat this power of the soil Is
limited. When the sources Of pollution
are constant and numerous. as in
cities. from privies, cesspools, slop-
water, offal and the manure of domes-
tic animals, and. sometimes. from
leaky and imperfect sewers and drains.
the soil becomes filth sodden,' and the
filth is carried deeper and deeper. until
finally it appears in our drinking wa
ter. Sanitary literature is full of
instances of the outbreaks of
epidemies of diarrhna, typhoid
fever and cholera; which have
been traced to the drinking of well
water thus polluted; and. even though
the city may 90 through one or more
years epidemics, it is not Il pleasant
thought for the inhabitants to indulge
in, that they are drinking the drainage
of their privies and cess-pools. And
vet they must realize the idea that their
wells are. and must be, drains for the
grounds, with all its con-
tents that are capable of solution in
water Science can not tell us that, in
a given water is charged the poison of
a definite disease, but it can tell us that
it has received the product of decaying
matter from animal sources, and, again,
that such water is dangerous to health.
DR.. E. F. Mack. in Sanitary Monitor.